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If for you the Peugeot 206 is too luxurious. If for you the Dacia Logan is a scary thought and you are intimidated by the level of technology it has, then you should try a Citroen C3 FC.

Not just because the Citroen C3 FC is one of the worst cars you can buy right now. It’s a true almost car. A sort of larger but poorly built Peugeot 206. And yes, they are built on the same platform, Citroen C3 FC and Peugeot 206. Except that Citroen C3 FC is weaker in terms of reliability and comes with fewer engine options and fewer features. Which would be okay if you had a simple but at least a reliable car like the Logan, but the Citroen C3 FC isn’t even reliable. You can rely on it as much as you can rely on a friend to give you back your money. 

I could say more about this tent on wheels, but I’m afraid I’ll run out of internet bandwidth. Sure, all the amateurs will come out saying they have a Citroen C3 FC and haven’t replaced anything in 500,000 miles, not even the diesel fuel from their petrol engine, but the reality remains. This tent on wheels was one of the low points for the French, and I really can’t say anything good about this car.

However, from the underwater comes the good part of the Citroen C3 FC. It’s a cheap car overall, which means it’s cheap to buy. Yes, you rarely find one that isn’t scratched or where all the body panels are the same color and shade, but at least it’s a cheap car.

And the petrol engines are small, reliable, and economical. In practice, the Citroen C3 FC is a real rival to the Honda Jazz, another car for women who drive out of necessity, have a phobia of cars and 1500 euros in their pocket for a car to take them from home to work and back. And that was exactly the idea the French had when they built the Citroen C3 and especially the C3 Pluriel, which is indeed a tent on wheels in the sense that you can dismantle and assemble it anytime you want, even while driving. And it has acres of windows and good visibility. Not that it will help you when you inevitably hit one of those orange poles and end up like Jeremy Clarkson – “Oh no! Anyway….”

Citroen C3 FC Engines

Petrol

• 1.1 MPI TU1 of 60 horsepower – Honestly, for the city pottering you don’t need more than that. Sure, it has occasional issues with catalytic converters, but it’s very unlikely you’ll notice or care about such things.


• 1.4 MPI TU4 of 75 and 90 horsepower – This is the most balanced engine for the Citroen C3 FC, at least let this one be balanced because the car itself isn’t. It doesn’t have specific issues except for premature wear of the engine mounts, which cost more in labor than the mounts themselves. And it’s also a quite popular engine.


• 1.6 MPI TU5 of 109 horsepower – Better known for the performance of larger cars like the 406, this engine was too expensive for the Citroen C3 so good luck finding one. And if you find one, check the PCV valve because that’s the only weak point.

Diesel

• 1.4 HDi DV4 of 90 and 92 horsepower – The 90-horsepower one is Euro 3 and is somewhat decent, but the 92 horsepower one is the famous 1.4 HDi that takes a bite out of injectors just like Scruff McGruff took a bite out of crime. If you have a bizarre fetish for replacing injectors on a weekly basis, this is the engine for you.


• 1.6 HDi DV6 of 109 horsepower – Yes, that 1.6 HDi that ruined the reputation of Citroen, Peugeot, Ford, Volvo, and wherever else it had the chance to be mounted. Eats fewer injectors than the 1.4 HDi but eats turbos instead if you don’t change the filter that deals with the oil route to the turbo. We discussed extensively in the Ford Focus review.

Citroen C3 FC Reliability Issues

• The Sensodyne automatic gearbox…that, Sensodrive is just as miserable as the rest of the car, so it practically stays in line with the Citroen C3 theme and you can easily opt for something like that.


• The interior is as equipped and resistant as a student dorm room. But it shouldn’t stop you from dropping a button or peeling off the dashboard. Or breaking the gear lever. Or the glove compartment.


• Issues also with steering, steering column, power steering pump, and anything related to steering.


• Electrical issues everywhere, including steering and plastic. Yes, it’s that bad. But at least the steering wheel, pedals, brakes, and gear lever work, and what more do you need from a car?

Citroen C3 FC Verdict

Simple and cheap, ideal for a city car you don’t care about. The Citroen C3 doesn’t have the best reputation, but at least you see that they still survive on the streets, whether driven by women who don’t know or delivery drivers who don’t care. If you want a flawless car that works 100% of the time, forget about the first C3. But if you want a car that works no matter what and you don’t mind if it squeaks around the corners or that button doesn’t work, the Citroen C3 FC can be an excellent runaround car.

Which engines do I recommend? For gasoline, I recommend the 1.4 MPI with 90 horsepower, but the 1.1 MPI with 60 horsepower is also good, and for diesel, definitely the 1.6 HDi with 109 horsepower.